


what a mess i'll leave to follow

by writerblender



Category: Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, F/M, Spy!AU, basically steve and diana are secret agents, diana has a small badass team mostly comprised of ladies !!!, this is based on a really good youtube video, what more do you need honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 08:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerblender/pseuds/writerblender
Summary: Diana, Princess of Themyscira, the God-Killer, is reborn years later as Diana Prince.There is no island full of vast knowledge and years of training. There are no great warriors or prophecies of God-killers. There is no daughter made of clay.or, the spy!reincarnation AU





	what a mess i'll leave to follow

The war kills millions of soldiers and civilians.

The war kills Steve Trevor in the sky. He does not fall. He dies in an explosion so loud and bright that it looks more like a star dying than a man.

The war kills Diana Prince on the land. Ares lifts her to the sky and she falls. She dies in an impact so loud and earth-shattering that it feels more like an earthquake than the death of a demigod.

...

The war kills millions more before it ends.

But it does end. Ares gets bored of this strife.

The same cycle repeats for decades.

Ares gets bored and a war starts. The war lasts until Ares gets bored again.

There is only a small respite before the vicious cycle begins again.

...

Diana, Princess of Themyscira, the God-Killer, is reborn years later as Diana Prince.

There is no island full of vast knowledge and years of training. There are no great warriors or prophecies of God-killers. There is no daughter made of clay.

Diana Prince is born in New York. She never knows her father and her mother refuses to share any information she has about him. Her mother keeps secrets from her often and always.

Instead, Diana Prince grows up and joins the Amazons, a group of female spies that steal information and put a stop to corruption by whatever means necessary. She trains harder than any that have come before her and quickly becomes their most valued and deadly asset.

She only knows her partner by her codename, Artemis. She's young - almost _too_ young for the job - and keeps her white hair blunt by trimming it with the switchblade she always keeps in her pocket.

The two women work with a young man named Barry Allen. The Amazons recruit him for his record-breaking hacking skills and he soon becomes a permanent monitor to their missions and targets. Artemis thinks he's too nervous for their job. Diana laughs at his jokes and his codename, 'Flash.' 

...

Diana and Artemis are on a stake-out when it happens.

They're tracking the movements of recent billionaire, Lex Luthor, seeing if they can catch him in corruption before he completes his rise to power and are stationed in a hotel room adjacent to his, watching and waiting.

The two women have just come back from the downstairs bar, grabbing a quick meal and, as a small reprieve from the monotony of work, placing a bet with Barry to see if the bartender will card Artemis. Artemis leaves with a beer and ten dollars richer.

When they enter their shared room for the next three weeks, they find a blonde man rifling through their few belongings.

Artemis pulls out one of the guns strapped to her hips and before the man can even blink, she has it loaded and aimed at his head, her finger around the trigger. Her beer falls to the ground next to her, staining her boots and the carpet.

The man immediately stops what he's doing, holding his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. "Hey, hey, no need to shoot."

Artemis steps closer to him. "I think we'll decide that." She looks over at Diana for only a split second, to nod at her, before she returns her gaze back to her target.

It's Diana's turn to step forward. "Who are you?"

The man smiles at them. "Steve Howard. I was hoping to meet under, uh, less _lethal_  circumstances."

...

Barry calls them two minutes later and Artemis holds up a finger at Steve. "Diana, can you watch him? I have to take this."

Diana only nods, now aiming her own weapon at Steve's chest, as Artemis rushes into the bathroom. She closes the door behind her quickly, leaving a small crack to see from. She can't turn her back completely on Diana. "What do you have, Barry?"

"Steve Howard is actually Stephen C. Trevor."

Artemis swears colorfully, instantly recognizing the name. Her expletives, however, go unnoticed by Barry, who continues to talk over the line.

"Steve Trevor? Where have I heard that name before? It sounds  _so_ familiar; like I've definitely heard it somewhere."

"Barry," Artemis scolds, cutting him off. "Not the time. Do you have any other useful information for me?"

"You know, my dad - Joe - always told me that I shouldn't trust a man with two first names."

"You know, _you_ have two first names, Barry _Allen_ ," Artemis reminds him. Her gaze flickers from the gun in front of her and into the doorway, where she can see Diana and Steve seated in their room. She knows exactly who this blonde stranger is and the longer she can't hear the conversation that's currently happening, the antsier she's getting.  _I should have shot him when I had the chance_ , she thinks to herself dully as Barry continues to rattle in her ear.

"Are you sure this dude wasn't a war general or something?" Barry asks. "I swear we learned about him in history class."

"Barry, why in the gods' good names would a hundred-year-old war general be spying on us?" Artemis scowls. "And I thought _you_ were supposed to be the smart one."

 

...

"You're working for Lex Luthor," Artemis says, emerging from the bathroom a few minutes later. Diana turns from where she's seated on one of the beds, eyes widening at the information. "You should have led with that, Steven Trevor."

"What else does your friend know about me?" Steve ignores her words, gesturing to her phone with his head.

"Enough," Artemis says coolly. "Even if you tried to keep yourself well hidden."

"What do you do for Lex Luthor?" Diana demands.

Steve turns to look at her, face straightening. This, Diana realizes, is just another part of his job. "I'm not at liberty to give you that information."

...

The two women offer him a deal; to allow him to walk away, unharmed, if he promises to feed them information, whenever they request it. Artemis warns him that if he doesn't; that if he tries to hurt her or Diana in any way, she'll kill both of his sisters back home in Virginia.

...

In the passing days, the women complete their stake-out and prepare to continue their observations at the annual gala that Luthor has promised to attend in only a week. There is no further contact between them and Steve Trevor.

Despite that, Diana can't seem to stop thinking about the blue-eyed stranger.

...

Artemis and Diana split up at the gala, both hoping to cover more ground and gather more information if they're separated. Artemis is currently flirting with the wife of one of Luthor's business partners, gathering any leads that she can out of the other woman. Diana orders a drink at the bar, scanning the crowds for a promising individual.

Before she can select another target, she feels a hand on the small of her back. "Funny seeing you here, Ms. Prince," a low voice says in her ear and when she turns, her eyes meet a pair of bright blue ones.

"Steve," she says calmly, grabbing his wrist tightly and removing his hand from its place on her. "My partner does not lie about her threats. It would be in your best interest to leave us alone unless we speak to you."

"I don't think that's truly in your best interest," he says to her before ordering a drink for himself. When Diana only raises an eyebrow in response, Steve grins. "You'll have to let me explain."

"I think it'd be in your best interest that we be real with one another, hm?" Diana proposes.

Steve's smile widens. "You know I can't do that."

Diana takes her drink off the bar, her eyes locking on one of Luthor's employees over Steve's shoulder. It's her turn to smile now. "Then my first words stand true, Steven Trevor."

...

Diana and Artemis are walking back to the hotel, trading newly acquired intel in low voices, when they hear it. There's the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh, followed by the crunch of bone and a panicked gasp for breath that is quickly cut off.

Artemis turns, eyes alert and switchblade already out of her clutch. She's ready for the fight, expecting to find a sleazy man trying to attack a woman trying to get home. She rushes ahead of Diana, who tries to grab her wrist to stop her, and around the corner.

When they enter the alleyway, they find Steve Trevor on the his knees, spitting up blood. He has one arm wrapped around his chest and when he attempts to straighten, he winces in agony. The man in front of him takes the safety of his gun and aims it only inches away from Steve's face.

Steve's eyes flicker to the two spies now standing only a few feet away. His gaze meets Diana's and he prays to whatever higher power is above them that she'll find it in her heart to save him. He won't beg for his life from these men but he won't deny help when it turns the corner.

He's still staring at Diana when the gun goes off.

...

"Diana!" Artemis screams shrilly as the man standing in front of Steve only seconds ago collapses to the ground.

Diana's only reply is turning her aim to the man standing behind Steve.

Something in Steve's brain puts two-and-two together and he ducks just in time to avoid the fire that his attackers begin to return to the women. He watches from the ground, as Artemis sighs and races forward to take on one of the men hand-to-hand and as Diana continues to take out several of his assailants.

He wonders, deliriously, as his vision begins to fade, how her bracelets are managing to protect her from the bullets aimed for her. Whether its blood loss, internal injuries, or simply shock, he realizes that he's fading -- and fast.

He doesn't have time to worry about it, however, before he's slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he sees is Diana's concerned face hovering over his.

...

He dreams of planes crashing into the ocean, of drowning, and of an angel rescuing him from the depths of the sea.

He dreams of battles on beaches, of warrior women, and of glowing pools.

He dreams of boats, spectacles, and notebooks.

He dreams of a beautiful woman in battle, of the fear of losing her to a stray bullet, of fearlessly following her into the war.

He dreams of a small town where the people smile at him, of music and beer and snow, and of a night that turned into day beside the woman he loves.

He dreams of heartbreak, of planes, of a god he didn't believe in.

He dreams of a watch and saving the world.

He dreams of the stars and the woman more beautiful than all of them combined.

_"I wish we had more time. I love you."_

...

When he finally opens his eyes, she's standing over him again. The difference, this time, is that he knows who she is. She is no longer the beautiful face caught on a security camera at an airport six months ago. She is no longer the grainy, blown-up photo that was placed on his desk. She is no longer the mysterious woman he was hired to gather intel on before he was granted permission to further his mission on Luthor.

She is Diana, of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. She is Diana, the god-killer. She is Diana, Wonder Woman. She is Diana, the woman he fell in love with from the first moment he saw her on the beaches of her home.

She's speaking, Steve can tell by the way her mouth is moving, but he hears little to nothing of what comes out. He can't focus on anything but the fact that he's _here_ with her _again._ They have more  _time_.

" _Diana_ ," he breathes her name like it's a prayer and Diana's face only scrunches up in confusion.

"Steve," she replies simply, eyes scanning over his body once more. Her gaze makes him aware of the pulsing pain in his abdomen and left wrist but they become dull against the pounding of his head.

"Diana, it's me. It's Steve," he tries again and when Diana only nods, expression still lost, he feels a new pain in his chest.

Before he can say anymore, he feels a cool hand on his forehead. He turns to see a young woman with white hair and fiery eyes staring at him as well. She pulls away her hand quickly, sighing.

"He's running a fever," she says. "Do we have any medicine? We'll have to bring it down; I don't want to risk infection."

Steve opens his mouth to protest that he feels fine, that he's thinking perfectly clearly, that he doesn't have a fever when the blonde beside him sends him a sharp look. He closes his mouth as Diana speaks.

"No," she says. "I can have Barry order some."

The blonde shakes her head. "Can you go to the drug store and get some? He'll need pain reliever and new bandages as well. I used up our emergency provisions on him."

Diana stands, nods, and makes her way to the door of the room. She sends them both one last look, his of wonder and confusion and hers of determination. The door slams to mark her departure.

The blonde turns to him, her expression softening. "Exactly how _much_ do you remember, Steve Trevor?"

...

"It was foolish of my father to bring you back," The woman, who he now knows as Artemis - as in the actual Greek goddess he learned about in high school, standing in the flesh before him - states, handing him an unopened bottle of water.

"Your father?" Steve asks, cracking the lid of the bottle off. It's warm, but he doesn't dare complain. He knows that Artemis is only being kind to him because of how overwhelmed he is at the moment. He doesn't want to over-extent the limits of her kindness. "As in Zeus - Diana's father?"

"Yep," She responds, popping the last syllable and running a hand through her hair as she thinks. Her bangs stand up awkwardly and Steve thinks he would laugh if the air in the room wasn't so tense. "Dad never could keep it in his pants."

"Is he her father in this life too? Or is she completely human?"

"In this lifetime too," Artemis replies. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. He sent me down to Earth to take care of her - which he's made _a lot_ harder by bringing you back to life."

Steve wants to apologize to her, for making her mission of caring for literal god-killer more difficult than it already is, but he's not sure how to. He's too thrilled to be returned to Diana to come up with any proper words of forgiveness. Before he can muster out any more questions, Artemis stands, running a hand over her face.

"Fucking reincarnation," she swears and Steve can't help but smile at her particular word choice. 

"Reincarnation?" Steve asks. "How do you know that Zeus didn't just pluck us from the war and place us here?"

"Because we watched you explode in the sky, Steve Trevor," Artemis responds. "Just like we watched Diana's bones break against the ground below you." Steve winces at the thought - the image of Diana, broken and bloody and defeated and _alone_ , flashing in his mind. Artemis mutters a quick apology before she continues. "When the exact same genes reappear in the exact same order, it is considered reincarnation. And somehow, your souls found each other, even after spending so many decades apart."

...

"So how come I didn't remember this all before? Why can't Diana now?"

"You'd have to ask my father that. I don't have all the answers, Steve Trevor."

"You _have_ to know something. How I remembered or how - how I can bring Diana's memories back."

"Some _thing -_ some _event_ before you lost consciousness in that alleyway must have triggered the memories to return to you. A thing that you experienced in your last life with Diana," Artemis replies, small smile growing on her lips. "Something like Diana saving your life in an alleyway."

Steve nods. "And the same will go for her?"

"No," Artemis responds. "If it did, then she would have remembered you in that alleyway as well. As far as she knows, you're just a scumbag who works for Lex Luthor that we stupidly saved because we need information that badly."

Steve opens his mouth to retort her previous, snarky message but he stops himself before he can. Right now, getting back to Diana is what's most important. "How do we get them back?"

Artemis takes a deep breath. "You know what, Steve Trevor? I'll make you a deal. You stick with us to take down Luthor, protect Diana, prove your loyalty and love to her in this life, and I'll restore her memories."

"You can do that?"

"I haven't lost all my godly powers, Trevor."

Steve shakes her extended hand without a second of hesitation. Living beside Diana in this life will be nothing compared to dying for her in his last life. 

...

By the Diana returns from the store, Artemis has already healed his injuries. Still, Steve feigns a fever and takes the medicine Diana hands him. If his touch lingers with hers for a few seconds longer than normal, none of them mention it.

...

Later, Artemis leaves with only a quick glance at Diana and two fully loaded handguns strapped to her hips. Steve wants to ask but doesn't.

He and Diana instead sit across from each other, the silence sitting between them.

It's Steve who finally breaks the silence. "I'm not working for Luthor," he states. Diana's eyes narrow in suspicion. Steve knows that it's a reasonable reaction, that she has no reason to trust him, but it hurts all the same. "Not voluntarily, at least."

"Luthor is forcing you to work for him?" Diana asks quickly. "Do you owe him a debt of some sort?"

Shaking his head, Steve continues. "No, no. It's part of my job." Diana only looks more confused with every word that comes out of his mouth so he sighs and leans forward. "I work for the CIA."

Diana freezes and Steve's heart clenches in his chest. "CIA?" Diana repeats. "That means you're a - are you a - ?"

"I'm a spy."

...

At two in the morning, Steve and Diana are still seated across from each other, still discussing their lives with each other. Steve doesn't know why she trusts him so much to tell him so much about herself but he believes that it's carried over from their time together before. So far, he hasn't included anything that he remembers from their past. He won't let himself destroy what little progress he's made.

"Where did Artemis go?" Steve finally asks. "She's been gone for a while now."

Diana shrugs. She doesn't seem bothered by the fact that her partner has been gone for the entire night and Steve finds it strange, so he pushes farther.

"Is she with..." Steve pauses, swallows hard, and blushes as Diana smiles softly at him. "Does she have a male suitor?"

Diana's grin widens playfully at his words. "No," she answers simply. "I do not know where Artemis goes at night. She has her secrets. I have mine. She doesn't ask and neither do I." Steve nods and Diana takes it as a sign to continue. "And if she did have any suitors, they would be female."

"Oh," Steve replies, eyes widening. "Neat."

Diana's smile continues. "Do you have a suitor, Steve Trevor?"

"I did." The words are out of his mouth before he can stop himself. "But, uh, she died."

Diana's face transforms from amused to sympathetic in seconds. "I'm sorry for your loss," she says, squeezing his knee quickly as a small sign of comfort. Steve would laugh if he weren't talking about her.

"Tell me more about her?" She offers after another beat of silence.

"She was tremendously brave, even up to the end," Steve begins. "She was curious about everything but confident in herself and what she believed in. She was kind to everyone she met; sometimes I thought her heart was so big that it'd break through her chest one day. But most of all, she was hopeful. She believed in me even when I didn't. She believed she was going to save the world." Steve takes a deep breath, contemplating his actions and their consequences before he opens his mouth again. "She reminds me a lot of you, actually."

At his words, Diana stands, suddenly uncomfortable in the situation. "You must have loved her very much... but she doesn't sound anything like me."

Steve lets her walk into the other room without protest. He stays awake the rest of the night thinking,  _if only you knew_.

...

"I don't think we should let him on the team," Barry protests and Artemis groans, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. "I'm just saying, Artemis! The Amazons don't really have a thing for men."

"No shit, Barry," Artemis replies, not having moved from her previous position.

"Do I need to remind you how they hired me? They kidnapped me and threatened to kill me if I didn't comply," Barry continues. "They promised to make my death look like an accident!"

"Barry," Artemis sighs, "He's got leverage on us."

"What?!" Barry cries. "How did you let him get leverage on you two? It's your job --!"

Artemis cuts him off before he can continue. "Yeah, Barry, I know. But he and Diana..." she pauses, groaning to herself. "They have a past."

"They slept together?!" Barry exclaims and Artemis rolls her eyes.

"Did you ever follow up on that hunch you had about Steve Trevor?"

"No," Barry's reply is instant. "You told me not to."

"Maybe you should have trusted your gut, Allen."

...

 _scarletspeedster:_ STEVE TREVOR

 _scarletspeedster:_ as in, WWI pilot and spy who died over sixty years ago

 _ _snowwhite:__ we have a winner

 _ _scarletspeedster:__ how ?? 

 _ _ _ _ _ _scarletspeedster:______ WAIT how does diana know him then

 _ _ _ _ _ _scarletspeedster:______ oh my GOD

 _ _ _ _ _ _scarletspeedster:______ you better not be fuckng with me

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _scarletspeedster:_______ hOW am i supposed to handle this

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _snowwhite:_______ i'll call in ten

...

Steve kisses Diana the next night. Artemis still hasn't returned and Diana's only reply is to give her time. Steve opts to go looking for her but Diana shakes her head. Instead, they order room service and watch whatever crappy movie is on the first channel they try.

They're halfway through the film and Steve's spent more time staring at Diana than he has watching the screen.

Finally, Diana turns to look at him. "If you're going to kiss me, Steve Trevor, you might as well."

"I was trying to be a gentleman," Steve retorts and Diana laughs. Steve's heart swells; it's a sound he didn't realized he missed until he heard it.

Before he can ask what she's doing, Diana sets down her wine glass and leans forward, kissing him first.

It's all it takes for the movie to become long forgotten.

...

Two days later, when Artemis returns to their hotel room, she finds Steve, naked, in Diana's bed. 

Steve, upon seeing her, lets out a startled yell and yanks the covers over his body. Artemis only glares in the other direction.

"Where's Diana?"

"In the shower."

"Did you sleep with her?"

"You did leave us _alone_ in a _room_ for _two_ days."

" _Men_ ," Artemis grumbles, rolling her eyes as she turns on her heel to walk back out of the room. "Tell Diana to call me when you're decent and she's ready to get back to work."

"How do we know you'll come back?" Steve teases.

The door slamming is his only reply.

...

The next few missions go smoothly for the Amazons. Diana and Artemis continue to gather intel, both through their own methods and through Steve. The plan is going accordingly; the women should have Luthor pinned down in less than a week.

Of course, it's then, when everything is seemingly perfect and in place, that it all goes to shit.

Steve is discussing Luthor's travel plans in the coming week, pouring over documents and data with Artemis, when Diana freezes, grabbing his wrist in her tight grip. "Hello to you too," Steve jokes. He's the only one that smiles.

"Where did you get this?" Diana demands, ignoring his comment and pointing to the watch on his wrist with her free hand.

Hope flickers dimly somewhere in Steve's chest that she's suddenly remembered him and the life they've left behind. Artemis swears softly behind him as if she can hear his thoughts and, though he knows she means it as a warning, it doesn't stop him. "My father gave it to me before he passed," he replies calmly. In another life, he knows, it belonged to Diana before it was destroyed. "It's been passed down in my family for generations."

"No!" Diana cries, effectively silencing Steve instantly. "You stole this from me."

"Diana -- !"

"Did you think I would not notice?" Diana asks. "I thought you were more than a liar and smuggler, Steve Trevor, but you have proved me wrong. Return my watch to me and leave us."

Steve knows he should stop and let it go, but he can't push down the hope that continues to grow inside him, no matter how much he knows he needs to. Diana is remembering and it's all he needs. "It _was_ yours, once. Yes," Steve says calmly and Diana's grip loosens. "But that was a long time ago, when I gave it to you."

"What?" Diana stutters out in disbelief as Artemis screams his name shrilly.

"You and I, we knew each other once. I was a pilot and - and you saved my life. We went to the war together. We - we loved each other. We tried to save the world together, Diana. We did. I loved you." Steve continues. "I still do, Diana. I love you."

Diana takes a step away from him, releasing her grip on his arm and turning her head as her face contorts in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"We were reborn together, Diana. It's me. It's _Steve_." He can hear Artemis protesting behind him but he can't bring himself to focus on her words. He's started now; he can't give up this easily. "I couldn't say anything because I didn't think you knew but you did. You knew. You know."

"No," Diana shakes her head quickly. "I don't know what you're talking about. We met in a hotel room. I've never seen you before that."

"Yes, you have," Steve insists. "You and I, Diana, we knew each other once and now we're here together again like some _miracle_. I mean, it _is_ a miracle, that we're together --."

"Leave." Diana's voice is calm and stops Steve completely. "Please."

"Diana -!"

"I said  _leave_."

He does the only thing he can do now. He walks out of the room and tries to focus on anything else except the sound of the door shutting behind him.

...

Artemis meets him at a cafe the next day. He almost doesn't recognize her with her white hair tucked away in a hat and sunglasses covering her bright eyes. It's only when she sits across from him that he recognizes her.

"I've got a cover to keep, Steve Trevor," she says calmly. Steve wonders if she actually can read his thoughts. At this point, after everything that's come to light in the past few days, it doesn't seem so ridiculous. "My godly features don't exactly help with that."

"Why did you call to meet me?" Steve asks now, taking a sip of the coffee he ordered. It burns Steve's throat as he swallows.

"I wanted to let you know that we no longer need your intel," Artemis states, not looking at him as she speaks. "Plus, I was curious to know what the fuck you were thinking by telling Diana all that."

"You what!?" Steve cries. "We had a deal!"

"We _did_.However, _you_ broke that deal. Now, it's off. I'm sorry, Steve, but we're done here." Artemis sighs and stands. She offers him a sympathetic smile but Steve can't bring himself to care for her sympathy.

"It's a lot to handle, Artemis, I know," Steve begins to protest, standing up to follow her. "But a deal is a promise and a promise is unbreak -."

"Don't _follow_ me," she snaps. Her hand remains in her pocket, fingers curled around her switchblade. It's a threat that Steve can't see but knows is there regardless. "And don't spit any of Diana's hopeful bullshit at me." She sighs, turning to look at him and readjusting the cap on her head. "I'm sorry, Steve. I really am. Maybe you'll have better luck in the next life."

...

Diana sees Steve again a week later.

She's at a technology convention, headed by the only other billionaire in Gotham, Bruce Wayne, and is making her way to Luthor, to seduce him just before she lets him now that they've caught him red-handed, when she feels a hand grab her arm.

She whips around, slamming her hand onto the stranger's wrist, effectively breaking their hold on her. She expects to be confronted by one of Luthor's men. Instead, she finds bright blue eyes again.

"Steve," she breathes. "What are you doing here?"

"Diana, I can't let you do this. It's not safe. Luthor and his men... you don't know them like I do."

Her next words slip off her tongue easily and instantly. "What I do is not up to you."

...

Artemis thinks, as she ducks behind the front desk to avoid the bullets that are aimed for her, that it's all of their faults.

Diana's confrontation with Luthor quickly turned into a firefight between the two Amazons and Luthor's men. She can hear Barry screaming instructions and questions in her ear and she nearly screams herself when she sees Steve Trevor of all people meeting her gaze from where he's shielded himself behind a reception couch.

"She's taking all the fire!" He roars and Artemis glances fleetingly around the edge of the desk to see where Diana is shielding herself behind a decor pillar. There's no way for Diana to return the fire or, in any way, lessen it.

Artemis stands and fires back.

...

Artemis is staring down the barrel of a gun. It's a mixture of poor planning and sheer shit luck that leaves her this way but she's not worried. She'll survive even if the bullet manages to lodge itself between her eyes. She's a goddess. It's only a matter of time.

She can hear Diana screaming her name and Barry still demanding to know what's happening in her ear. She's never been one for last words, so she simply stares down the boy behind the gun as he curls his finger around the trigger.

The gun goes off and blood sprays across Artemis's face and hair, staining her red.

The gun goes off and Artemis feels no pain.

Instead, she watches Steve Trevor collapse in front of her, blood pooling from the spot where the bullet entered his chest.

" _Steve!_ _No!_ " It's a scream that they've all heard before and Steve can't help but smile despite the pain that's blossomed in his torso. All it took was him dying again for her to remember him.

Artemis' almost-killer is stunned by the action and it's all the hesitation she needs. She has the gun out of his hand and a bullet in his brain before he can register what's happened next.

By the time she's ended the last few men left standing, Diana is already at Steve's side, pressing her hands to the wound in attempts to staunch the blood flow.

"Who got shot?" Barry asks in Artemis's earpiece. "Is Diana okay? What the fuck is going on?"

"What the hell did you do that for?" Artemis demands, crouching beside Steve on his other side. "I would have come back."

"I had to prove it to you - so you would give Diana her memories back," Steve rasps and Artemis lets out a frustrated cry as Diana hiccups on a sob.

"Steve," Diana whispers, grasping at his hand that reaches for her. She knows the wound is fatal; it's no longer about survival. Now, it's comfort for whatever little time he has left. "Steve, you can't -."

"I love you," Steve says, squeezing her hand weakly. "I love you desperately." Diana lets out a strangled cry and all Steve wants to do is pull her to his chest, to comfort her, to let her know everything is going to be alright. He knows, however, it's a lie. "Don't lose faith in me. I'll find you again. I promise."

"No, Steve, we'll take you back to the Amazons. We'll heal you," Diana pleads. "Artemis can --."

"I can't bring someone back from the brink of death, Diana. We both know that. And we can't bring him back," Artemis interrupts and Diana looks over at her in horror. "The police - _his_  people - are on their way. They know who we are. They'll take us in for what we've done. We have to _go_."

"But, Steve..." Diana begins before Artemis shakes her head. "We can't leave him!"

"Diana, _go_ ," Steve protests weakly beneath her. "She's right. Go."

"Steve -- !"

"We had more time, Diana. I love you."

"I love you," Diana repeats, pressing a kiss to his lips softly. "I love you."

Steve only smiles as he lets go of her hand and Artemis grabs her arm, dragging her out the backdoor as the sirens grow louder. The last thing he sees before everything goes black is Diana's smiling face.

It's just like the plane, in Germany in 1918. Except this time, there's no explosion. There's no star's death. Just his.

...

"Why did you not return her memories earlier?" Mera asks as Artemis scrubs the blood off her face. They've successfully made it back to the Amazons, with defeat and death weighing on their shoulders. Diana had refused to speak to Artemis the whole way back and, upon their return, had immediately left to talk to their supervisor, Antiope, before Artemis could utter a word.

"I couldn't," Artemis sighs. "You know that, Mera."

"Things would have gone differently," Mera responds. "Perhaps, even better."

"Perhaps," Artemis counters. "But it could have been worse."

Mera laughs from where she stands. "You lost the mission and Diana lost the man she's sacrificed everything in two lifetimes for. There's nothing left to ruin."

Mera leaves her with only the sound of running water from the tap to console her.

...

Three weeks later, Diana is assembling weapons for her fellow Amazons. She hasn't been out in the field since Steve's death and no one has heard from Artemis since that night. She can't bring herself to care about her partner's whereabouts now that she remembers the truth. She can't even bring herself to remember the truth most days.

When her phone lights up, notifying her that an unknown caller is trying to contact her, she answers apprehensively. "Who is this?"

The laugh on the other end of the line nearly stops her heart. "I was just checking that I didn't lose you. I'm glad I didn't."

"Steve? H-How are you...?"

"Still alive?" He fills in for her and Diana makes a noise of agreement, too stunned for proper words. "Turns out my people are really good at what they do. Plus, your partner decided to pay me a visit a few days ago."

Diana can't help but smile. "Where are you?"

...

Steve knocks at her apartment door an hour later. Diana opens the door and launches herself into his arms without hesitation.

Steve groans at the jolt to his recovering side and Diana pulls away, brow furrowed in worry. Steve only beams at her.

"I'm alright, Angel," he reassures her and Diana can only smile back at him, wrapping her arms around him, gentler this time.

"Stay here, with me?" Diana asks.

Steve looks down at her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Diana takes the gesture as a yes and takes his hand, leading him into her apartment.

She plans to spend the rest of her time with him and she refuses to waste a second.

**Author's Note:**

> it's finally done !!!! heck !!! also this non-beta'd we die like men
> 
> this entire au is based off of this video: youtube.com/watch?v=QVm_mQQbaDU&t=9s&list=LLy2wir06B50EFmmwLor0dOw&index=5
> 
> please watch it i'll change your life
> 
> hope you all enjoyed this !! thank you to @MacduffProd on YT for the inspiration (and permission to write this) & to my anonymous friends for encouraging me to write this. as always, more wondertrev is on the way (much sooner this time)!
> 
> if you wanna scream about this whole universe w/ me, hmu on tumblr @ writerblender
> 
> kudos and comments keep my skin clear and hydrated and glowing !!!!


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